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 Bounded by Swaziland and Zululand in the west and Mozambique to the north, Maputaland is a largely flat land of game parks, wetlands and marine reserves.
A World Heritage Park
'Maputaland' comes from the Maputo River that flows through the area. In 2000, the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park in Maputaland was granted World Heritage Park status as an area of exceptional beauty. Also in 2000, the 'fossil fish' the coelacanth was found to be living off the coast.
The area was originally under water and has risen only slightly above sea level with the result that the rivers dawdle and meander on their way to the sea and there is a large number of freshwater and brackish lakes and pans.
The many small lakes that form are home to many species of fish, water birds, crocodiles and hippo. The local inhabitants have developed ingenious traps across the lakes to traps the fish.
The Tembe Elephant Park contains the last wild elephants in KwaZulu-Natal.
The jewel in the Maputaland crown is the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park, a world famous tourist destination.
The park is gradually being consolidated with other parks such as Mkuze and Phinda to the north. Ndumo Game Reserve on the Mozambique border is renowned for its prolific birdlife.
Both the Ndumo and Tembe Game Reserves will shortly be amalgamated with reserves across the border in Mozambique. A corridor (the Futhi corridor) will then be established connecting this complex of reserves with the Maputo Elephant reserve near Maputo city.
Simultaneously, the marine reserve will be extended to the Southern border of Maputo Bay.
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